Evelyn De Morgan. The Sea Mermaids, 1886-87. Photo courtesy of The De Morgan Centre. William De Morgan. A tile panel of a dragon. Photo courtesy of The De Morgan Centre.

William De Morgan by Zita Thornton

William De Morgan was one of the Pre- and pigmented, as well as designs for the Raphaelite set which included his friends Italian pottery Cantagalli. In 1907, De Burne-Jones, William Morris, Dante Gabriel Morgan retired from designing pottery, having Rosetti and Lord Leighton. Having trained at created over 300 designs. His work had been The Royal Academy School, he turned to highly prized, despite being very expensive, painting, furniture and stained glass. It was his and had decorated a number of P&O liners and interest in the latter that led him to a career as a yacht belonging to the Czar of Russia. The a potter. He remained closely associated with firm continued until 1911. At the age of 65, William Morris, both at the start of his career De Morgan embarked on a successful career as in 1863, when he produced designs for a novelist, producing five bestsellers. ceramics, in particular tiles, at the Morris De Morgan’s early tiles and dishes from works, and later when he had successfully the Chelsea pottery had neo-classical decora- established his own potteries. tions of putti and scrolls, as well as showing De Morgan left Morris’ company in 1872 the influence of William Morris in its stylised Lustre, 10.25in, c1890. Fulham. Photo to open his own pottery in Chelsea. There, he flowers. Playful or grotesque creatures courtesy of The De Morgan Centre. decorated Staffordshire earthenware blanks for shimmered in lustred tones of red, yellow, tiles and vessels, reviving the art of lustre pink, silver and gold. From 1875, he intro- decoration, and producing wares in a Persian duced ‘Persian’ colours of royal blue, violet style. Designs for his lustre pieces were trans- and green, inspired by fifteenth and sixteenth ferred on to blanks by shaking powdered century Iznik pottery. At Merton Abbey, he pigments through an outline of holes pricked added vases, bottles and bowls to his output, on a paper pattern, ready for painting and many in Oriental designs. He introduced a glazing with lustres. The Persian designs were range inspired by Hispano-Moresque pottery transferred by painting the design on to thin in bluish/grey, gold and the ruby red lustre paper which was placed between the slip and which is more desirable today than his Persian the glaze and which disappeared under the inspired work. He also used the favourite arts firing process, leaving the coloured pigments and crafts motif of a galleon, on a sea of on the wares. glittering waves. Tiles continued to feature in Ten years later he opened a pottery at his output either singly, in pairs, or as pictorial Merton Abbey, in Surrey. There he produced panels. At Sands End, he introduced the and decorated his own pieces and also collab- ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Sunlight’ series of double orated on tiled projects with William Morris. and triple lustre effects and continued to In 1888 he decided that the commuting produce richly coloured and decorated pieces. journey to Surrey was too long, so he opened The De Morgan Centre a new factory at Sands End, Fulham, even The first half of 2002 saw a lot of interest designing the machinery himself. The next in the influential arts and crafts designer, decade was De Morgan’s richest and most William De Morgan. In April, The De Morgan successful. Centre opened in Wandsworth, London and in Failing health meant that he was spending June, The Richard Dennis Gallery, Kensington half the year in Italy, and there he established Church Street, hosted an important selling a studio in Florence to produce his own exhibition of his work, including pieces which William De Morgan Centre. A selection of designs which he sent home already pierced had never before been on the market. flower tiles. Photo courtesy of The De Morgan Centre. ANTIQUES INFO - September/October 02 The Richard Dennis Exhibition included notable examples of tiles and tiled panels, vases and dishes from the whole of De Morgan’s career, many of which Richard Dennis had purchased 20 or 30 years ago. A selection of copper lustre dishes decorated with ship, bird and other creatures sold for between £5,000 and £7,500. There were many fine examples of single tiles. Red animal lustre tiles were £1,200. Tiles from Chelsea and Fulham with stylised florals or Islamic patterns were £600-£1,100. Tiled panels included sailing ships £8-10,000, a washstand with a tiled back, which rarely comes up for sale, £6,500 and an intriguing Italian tiled panel showing a figure of ‘Justitia’ from 1899 £10,000 with the middle section missing. A contemporary illustration shows what it looked like but no one knows where it is. There were dramatic vases from £1,500- Multi lustre vase, painted by Fred Passenger, 1,700 with and without single or double 12.5in, c1890. Fulham. Photo courtesy of The handles, including one similar to a vase which De Morgan Centre. features in a portrait of William De Morgan painted by his wife Evelyn, in the National Portrait Gallery. The De Morgan Centre gives a permanent home to the collection of his work owned by the De Morgan Foundation. It is appropriate that it should be displayed in South London as it has not been kept together for nearly 40 years, since it was in the keeping of Evelyn’s sister who lived in South London. The centre has moved into a building dating from 1887, the year the De Morgan’s were married, which was once the West Hill reference library. It provides plenty of space for the extensive collection of work by both William and Evelyn Evelyn De Morgan. Flora, 1894. Photo as well as archive material which will be courtesy of The De Morgan Centre. available for research students. Rare lustre dish, 14in, c1885. Merton Abbey. Photo courtesy of The De Morgan Centre. Visitor Information The De Morgan Centre is at 38 West Hill, Wandsworth, London SW18 1RZ. Telephone: William De Morgan Books 020 8871 1144. www.demorgan.org.uk Richard Dennis Publications produce two books about William De Morgan. Admission is free. Open: Monday-Wednesday The Designs of William De Morgan by Martin Greenwood £45 12-6pm Friday and Saturday 10-5pm. Closed William De Morgan Tiles by Jon Catleugh £9.95 Thursdays and Sundays.

William De Morgan. A tile panel of a snake. Photo courtesy of The De Evelyn De Morgan. Night and Sleep, 1878. Photo courtesy of The De Morgan Centre. Morgan Centre. ANTIQUES INFO - September/October 02